OPERA WESTERN RESERVE

Jonny Kaufman

Faust

In their review of tenor Jonny Kaufman’s portrayal, BroadwayWorld noted, “…Kaufman, as Pinkerton, has a voice so grand – even heroic – that there are may times when, lost in the glory of that voice, we quite forget what a cad the Lieutenant is. Superb!” This season, Mr. Kaufman sings the title role in Faust with Opera Western Reserve, Canio in Pagliacci with Piedmont Opera, and he makes his San Diego Opera début as Don José in Carmen. He also joins Firelands Symphony in concert. Last season, Kaufman made his role début as Samson in Samson et Dalila with St. Petersburg Opera, which he also covered for New Orleans Opera, and he returned to Opera Carolina to sing Don José. He joined Fort Worth Symphony to sing the Steersman and cover Erik in Der fliegende Holländer and North Carolina Opera to cover the title role in Ernani. This past summer, he joined DC Choral Arts at the Kennedy Center for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and he sang Canio with Union Avenue Opera. Other recent engagements include Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opera Carolina, Don José with Opera Western Reserve, Rodolfo in La bohème with Opera Grand Rapids, Cavaradossi in Tosca with Opera Wilmington, and his house début at New Orleans Opera as Pinkerton. 

Erica Petrocelli

Marguerite

In the 2025-2026 season, American soprano, Erica Petrocelli returns to LA Opera to sing Musetta in La bohème; previous seasons at LA Opera have included Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte and Donna Clara, the Infanta in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg, both with James Conlon. Elsewhere, she will debut the role of Marguerite in Faust with Opera Western Reserve, and cover Micaela in Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera. Highlights of recent seasons include a role debut as Madame Butterfly with the Colorado Springs Symphony, Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder with Peoria Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Florida Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with Cincinnati May Festival and St. Louis Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Aspen Music Festival and School, Fauré’s Requiem with the Mostly Mozart Festival in San Diego, and concerts of Puccini favorites with Sarasota Opera. 

James Eder

Méphistophélès

James Eder is a bass from Columbus, Ohio whose voice has been acclaimed as a “solid bass” voice that is “robust” and “resonant” and having “ample quality and quantity” while his dramatic interpretations have been hailed as “inspired,” “laugh-out-loud funny,” “a comic delight” and “marvelously sinister and threatening” with Opera Wire praising his versatility and humanism. In 2024, James made his house debut with Opera Colorado as Hortensius in La fille du règiment and reprised a favorite role, Alcindoro, in their 2025 production of La bohème. 2024 also included a return to Opera Carolina as Timur in their renowned production of Turandot and was the bass soloist in Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor with the Columbus Symphony. 2022 and 2023 engagements included Angelotti with Chautauqua Opera, the Sacristan with Opera Carolina and Simone with Opera on the James. Other recent engagements include Colline in La bohème with Cleveland Opera Theater, Truffalldino in Ariadne auf Naxos with Cincinnati Opera, and The Hight Priest of Baal in Nabucco with Sarasota Opera. Additionally, James has worked with symphonies and opera companies including Sarasota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Colorado, Columbus Symphony, Opera Carolina, Opera Southwest, Opera Saratoga, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Columbus, Opera on the James, Knoxville Opera, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Cleveland Opera Theater, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, Opera Project Columbus, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, and the Brevard Music Center’s Janiec Opera Company. 

Brian Keith Johnson

Valentino

Brian Keith Johnson has performed many roles in opera from Figaro in il barbaiere di Siviglia to Ford in Falstaff. As a member of Actors’ Equity Association, he has also performed a variety of musical theatre roles ranging from Jim in Big River to Father/God in Children of Eden. His concert repertoire includes most of the major baritone works such as Carmina Burana, Elijah, The Verdi Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, The Brahms Requiem, and The Faure’ Requiem. He has performed operatic and musical theatre roles across the Unites States including performances with The Cleveland Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Blossom Festival Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Opera Western Reserve, Carolina Master Chorale, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and Porthouse Theatre. Mr. Johnson received his BM Degree fro The University of Akron and has also studied abroad at The New Opera Academy of Rome in Rome, Italy and The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. His favorite engagements from this past season include Sweeney Todd and Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr.) at Weathervane Playhouse, Dvorak’s Te Deum, Two Concerts with The Cleveland Composer’s Guild, Michael Haydn’s Requiem in C Minor, Willcocks’ From Darkness To Light: A Requiem of Hope, The Messiah, Amahl and the Night Visitors and The Brahms Requiem. This season he performs Old Thomas in Glory Denied, Bob in William Grant Stills’ Highway 21, Two Messiah performances, The White Rabbit in Alice and Her Adventures in Wonderland with Nightingale Opera, Tate’s Clans and Mozart’s C Minor Mass with The Akron Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming performances include The Coffee Cantata with Apollo’s Fire, Blind Injustice with Chagrin Arts, Falstaff with Geneva Light Opera, Faust with Opera Western Reserve, Carmina Burana with The Akron Symphony, The Hunchback of Notre Dame with The Canton Symphony, and The Innkeeper and Cervantes (cover) in The Man of LaMancha with The Ohio Shakespeare Festival. Brian and his wife Susan retired this year from The Akron Public School System with a combined 67 years of teaching between them. Brian is also an avid motorcyclist. 

Aidan Eddy

Wagner

Aidan Eddy, originally from Rochester, New York, is currently a Senior Voice Performance major at Baldwin Wallace University studying under Dr. JR Fralick. He holds many credits from BW including Tiridate in Radamisto, Baron Zeta in Lehar’s The Merry Widow, and Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance. He is thrilled to be returning for his second production with Opera Western Reserve, his first being last season’s production of La Traviata where he played therole of Marchese d’Obigny. He also holds credits from seveal regional theaters such as Tibbits opera House, Chagrin Arts, and Porthouse Theater. Some of his favorite credits include Smudge in Forever Plaid, Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd and Chorus in Blind Justice. He would also like to thank his family and his loving girlfriend for their continued support. 

Beth Satariano

Siebel

Mezzo-Soprano Beth Satariano is currently an undergraduate student in Vocal Performance at Baldwin Wallace University. There, she studies under Prof. Nancy Maultsby, to whom she credits the growth of both her technique and musicianship. Beth has performed a variety of operatic roles in her undergraduate career. Highlights include Sesto (Giulio Cesare), Public Opinion (Orpheus in the Underworld), and Radamisto (Radamisto). She is thrilled to be making both her debut in the role of Siebel and her professional opera debut in this Opera Western Reserve production. Later this fall, Beth is looking forward to applying at graduate programs to further her academic and artistic journey. As always, she would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support and love. 

Rachael Pavloski

Marthe

Rachael Pavloski is happy to be returning to perform with Opera Western Reserve in the production of Faust. She has a master’s in vocal performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Toledo. Ms. Pavloski has sung professionally with Opera Cleveland, Cleveland Opera, the Akron Symphony, Akron Lyric Opera Theatre, the Canton Symphony, Opera Wester Reserve in Youngstown, and with the Master Singers Chorale of Northeast Ohio. Roles that she has performed in include: Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, Ms. Macmillan in Big the Musical, Flora in La Traviata, Lucy in Threepenny Opera, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Irene Molloy in Hello Dolly, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Ramieo in La Finta Giardiniera. 

Act I

Scene 1

Faust has spent a lifetime in the study of science. Disillusioned that his scholarship had brought him no true joy or happiness, he resolves to end his life. In his desperation, he curses God and calls on the Devil for help. The Devil appears in the guise of the gentleman, Méphistophélès, and offers Faust riches, power, and glory. Faust, however, exclaims that he wants a treasure that contains them all… his youth. Méphistophélès agrees to Faust’s request, but explains that there is a condition to their deal. While Méphistophélès will grant Faust’s every desire on Earth, in exchange Faust must pledge his soul in the service of the devil in the underworld. Faust at first hesitates to pay such a steep price, but when Méphistophélès conjures a vision of the young and alluring Marguerite, Faust signs the contract with haste and is transformed into a vigorous young man before the two are soon off in search of youthful adventure and love!

Scene 2

The next scene takes place in a nearby town where the community has gathered to bid Valentin, Wagner, and the other soldiers farewell as they go off to war. Valentin is concerned about leaving his sister Marguerite unprotected and offers his humble prayer that the sacred medallion gifted to him by his sister will protect him in battle and asks God to protect his sister while he is away. Wagner starts a song to cheer everyone up, but is interrupted by Méphistophélès and his more raucous drinking hymn to Satan! Méphistophélès tells fortunes: Wagner, it seems, will be killed in his first battle. The flowers that Siébel picks will wither, and Valentin will meet his death at the hands of someone close to Méphistophélès. This angers Valentin who draws his weapon, but before a conflic can erupt, Méphistophélès freezes the weapons in the soldiers’ hands. Everyone is convinced they are in the presence of the Devil. Méphistophélès leads Faust to the street where he will encounter Marguerite. Faust is taken with Marguerite’s exquisite youthful beauty and offers her his arm. She refuses, but so charmingly that he is left more entranced than before. 

Scene 3

Siébel gathers flowers for Marguerite outside her house. As Méphistophélès predicted, they wither, but holy water seems to restore them. Méphistophélès and Fuast have been watching. Méphistophélès leaves to fetch a gift intended to upstage Siébel’s flowers. Faust is overcome with his lust for Marguerite and the intoxicating beauty and enchanting simplicity of his beloved’s home. Méphistophélès returns with a box of jewels to upstage Siébel’s simple gift of flowers and beguile Marguerite with a lavish gift from the East. Marguerite discovers the flowers Siébel left for her and then the jewel box. Captivated by their opulent beauty, she playfully bejewels herself. When she looks into the mirror, she is spellbound by the devilish magic and it is as if another woman, the daughter of a king, is staring back at her in the mirror. Marthe, the nosey neighbor, arrives and encourages Marguerite. Faust and Méphistophélès return. Méphistophélès flirts with Marthe, giving Faust the opportunity to seduce Marguerite, who hesitates to give in. Méphistophélès conjures and conspires with the dark of night and the flowers’ intoxicating fragrance to cause Marguerite to surrender as Méphistophélès laughs in triumph. 

Act II

Scene 1

Seduced and abandoned, Marguerite is expecting Faust’s child. She is still in love with him and prays for his return and their unborn child. 

Scene 2

The soldiers return with Valentin. Siébel tries to stop him seeing Marguerite but Valentin, suspecting the worst, rushes into the house. Just then Faust arrives with Méphistophélès who serenades Marguerite on Faust’s behalf. Valentin confronts them and tears off the medallion Marguerite gave to him before challenging Faust to a fight. With the intervention of Méphistophélès, Valentin is fatally wounded. Faust and Méphistophélès flee as Marguerite watches her brother die as he curses her with his dying breath. 

Scene 3

Distraught, Marguerite goes to the church to pray for forgiveness. When she hears the voice of Méphistophélès telling her that she is damned, she collapses in terror. 

Scene 4

Faust learns that Marguerite has gone insane and awaits execution for killing her child. With Méphistophélès’s help, Faust goest to the prison in an attempt to save Marguerite. She seems to recognize her lover and recalls the night when he first seduced her. Faust is overwhelmed with pity. Marguerite panics at the sight of Méphistophélès, and with a frantic appeal to heaven, she dies. Méphistophélès exclaims that damnation is her judgement, but angelic voices proclaim that salvation is her refuge. 

Program Coming Soon!